Paolo Banchero or Scottie Barnes? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 4th and 5th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Paolo Banchero. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 41.7 fantasy points to 41.7.
9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes instead, 7.1 category value for the week to -2.1, because his category mix is worth more there.
Paolo Banchero's minutes are up: 41.1 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 35.1 on the board.
Scottie Barnes's minutes are down: 26.0 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 33.0 on the board.
This is the call for one lineup slot across the week, the way weekly-lock leagues play it. In a daily-lineup league, start whichever of the two plays that night, and both when they fit.
Paolo Banchero rookie cardsScottie Barnes rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 41.1 (last 1) | 26.0 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 35.1 | 33.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 10.5 | 26.3 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 83.3 | 83.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -2.1 | 7.1 |
Schedule: Paolo Banchero Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK. Scottie Barnes Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 46.0 | 36.8 |
| Rebounds | 16.6 | 14.8 |
| Assists | 11.0 | 11.7 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 2.7 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 6.5 | 5.0 |
Each projection is the board's per-game line times the games counted; a player listed Out counts none. 9-cat value is the per-game category score (z-scores against the top 156) times games. Minutes and shots per 36 come from the last 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero, 41.7 fantasy points per game to 41.7.
9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes instead, 12th overall against 90th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Paolo Banchero vs Scottie Barnes: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 41.7 | 41.7 |
| Minutes | 35.1 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 23.0 | 18.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.3 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 50.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.2% | 83.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.3 | 2.5 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Paolo Banchero playing tonight? · Is Scottie Barnes playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Paolo Banchero or Scottie Barnes in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Paolo Banchero. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 41.7 fantasy points to 41.7. 9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes instead, 7.1 category value for the week to -2.1, because his category mix is worth more there. Paolo Banchero's minutes are up: 41.1 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 35.1 on the board. Scottie Barnes's minutes are down: 26.0 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 33.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Paolo Banchero or Scottie Barnes?
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero, 41.7 fantasy points per game to 41.7. 9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes instead, 12th overall against 90th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Paolo Banchero or Scottie Barnes?
Paolo Banchero is ahead in 3 (points, rebounds, threes); Scottie Barnes in 6 (assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number